It is known to provide display racks for cylindrical containers. In the typical rack, the containers are arranged in rows wherein each row extends from the front of the rack to the rear at a slight angle to the horizontal. When the container is removed from a row, the remaining containers slide forwardly until the front container engages a front stop. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,291,420 (Cough) and 3,895,724 (Thompson et al) are representative of these structures.
It is also known to provide a dispensing machine, for example for cans of soda, wherein the cans roll along a sinuous path from top to bottom. When a can is removed from the bottom of the rack, the remainder of the cans roll along the path until the front-most can engages a stop. This type of mechanism is not typically used in a store display rack and is instead part of a large vending machine. U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,952 (Bookout) shows this type of machine.
It is also known to provide a mechanism to indicate when a course of objects is empty. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,270,916 (Lyman), 1,393,964 (Potts et al), and 2,784,871 (Gabrielsen).